REGULATEUR HYDRAULIQUE D'ATTELAGE

DRAFT LOAD CONTROL FOR TRACTORS

Abrégé anglais

DRAFT LOAD CONTROL FOR TRACTORS
Abstract of the Disclosure
A hydrostatic drive tractor having a hydraulically lower-
able and raisable hitch to lower and raise an associated imple-
ment to respectively increase or decrease draft load includes a
draft control system sensing increases and decreases in the hy-
drostatic drive pressure which are proportional to draft load as
sensed by the drive wheels to activate valving to respectively
raise and lower the hitch.

Revendications

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. In a hydraulic wheel tractor and ground working imple-
ment arrangement having a draft connection between the tractor
and implement, a draft control system comprising: pressure sens-
ing means for fluidly sensing tractor wheel effort and providing
an output proportional thereto; power adjusting means on the
tractor for regulating the working depth of the implement; activa-
ting means on the tractor operatively associated with the power
adjusting means activated by the output of the sensing means in
response to variations in the tractor wheel effort due to the
draft load to cause the power adjusting means to change the
working depth of the implement; position sensor means movable by
the power adjusting means in accordance with adjustment of the
implement and providing an output proportional thereto; and means
responsive to the position sensor means and pressure sensing
means to vary the degree to which the activating means will be
activated by one or the other or both.
2. A draft control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein
the means responsive to the position sensor means and the pres-
sure sensing means includes cam means for varying in a predeter-
mined proportion the degree to which the activating means will be
activated by one or the other or both outputs.
3. A tractor including an engine, traction means, hydro-
static transmission means for transmitting engine torque to the
traction means, hitch means adapted to support an integral or
semi-integral ground working implement, hydraulic cylinder means
for raising and lowering the hitch means and any implement sup-
ported thereby, a fluid pressure source for the hydraulic cylin-
der means, valve means for controlling the flow of fluid to and
from the hydraulic cylinder means, means sensing fluid pressure
generated in the hydrostatic transmission means operatively

connected to the valve means for controlling the valve means to
raise the hitch means and any implement supported thereby upon
transmission means pressure exceeding a predetermined value and
to lower the hitch means and any implement supported thereby upon
transmission means pressure decreasing below the predetermined
value so as to maintain a substantially uniform transmission
means pressure during operation with the implement in a working
position, and response means operatively associated with the
pressure sensing means for varying the predetermined value.
4. A tractor as claimed in claim 3 further including posi-
tion sensor means operatively connected to the hitch means and
valve means for controlling the valve means in response to hitch
means height, and sensitivity control means operatively connected
with the fluid pressure sensing means and position sensor means
for varying the relative effect of the sensing and sensor means
on the valve means.
5. A tractor as claimed in claim 4 further including man-
ually settable means operatively connected to the valve means and
the position sensor means for controlling the valve means to
raise or lower the hitch means.
6. A tractor as claimed in claim 3 wherein the fluid
pressure sensing means includes piston means slidably mounted in
a bore provided in a body member and in fluid communication with
the hydrostatic transmission means whereby the piston means is
urged in one direction by the fluid pressure in the transmission
means, biasing means urging the piston in a direction opposite to
the one direction, and linkage means operatively interconnecting
the piston means and valve means to move the valve means in
response to movement of the piston means.
7. A tractor as claimed in claim 6 further including
response means for varying the force provided by the biasing
means and thereby vary the predetermined value.

8. A tractor as claimed in claim 7 wherein the biasing
means is a spring acting on the piston means and the responsive
means includes means for varying the preload on the spring.
9. A tractor as claimed in claim 8 wherein the spring is a
constant rate spring whereby the sensitivity of the piston means
and spring to variations in fluid pressure is substantially the
same at high and low pressures.
10. A tractor as claimed in claim 9 wherein the linkage
means includes valve lever means movable in a first direction to
permit fluid flow to the hydraulic cylinder means and a second
direction to permit fluid flow from the hydraulic cylinder means,
means biasing the lever means in the second direction, and means
movable by the piston means engageable with and to move the lever
means in the first direction upon movement of the piston means in
the one direction.
11. In a tractor having an engine, an axle structure having
a pair of main drive wheels journaled at the opposite ends there-
of, a pair of hydraulic wheel motors mounted at opposite ends of
the axle structure and including ouput shafts operatively connec-
ted to the main drive wheels, a hydraulic pump driven by the
engine to provide pressurized fluid, a hydraulic system opera-
tively interconnecting the pump and the motors to supply pressur-
ized fluid from the pump to the motors, adjustable hitch means
adapted to support an integral or semi-integral ground working
implement, position sensing link means proportionally movable
with the hitch means in accordance with the adjustment thereof,
hydraulic adjusting means for raising or lowering the hitch means
and any implement supported thereby, a fluid pressure source for
the hydraulic adjusting means, valve means for permitting or
blocking the flow of fluid to and from the hydraulic adjusting
means to respectively raise and lower the hitch means, a draft
control system comprising: pressure sensing means including a
11

body member having a longitudinal bore therein connected at one
end to the hydraulic system and slidingly sealed at the other by
piston means urged in one direction by the fluid pressure in the
transmission means, and urged in a direction opposite to the one
direction by biasing means; pressure sensing link means pivotally
connected to the piston means at one end, slidingly engaging the
position sensing link means at the end opposite the one end, and
slidingly abutting valve link means for controlling the valve
means to allow flow of fluid to the hydraulic adjusting means in
response to increasing fluid pressure in the transmission means
above a predetermined value and to allow flow of fluid from the
hydraulic adjusting means in response to raising of the hitch
means as sensed by the position sensing means; and biasing means
urging the valve link means to control the valve means to allow
flow of fluid from the hydraulic adjusting means.
12. A tractor including an engine, hydrostatic traction
means, hydrostatic transmission means for transmitting engine
torque to the traction means, adjustable hitch means adapted to
support an integral or semi-integral ground working implement,
position sensing link means movable in response to adjustment of
the hitch means, hydraulic cylinder means for raising and lowering
the hitch means and any implement supported thereby, a fluid
pressure source for the hydraulic cylinder means, valve means for
controlling the flow of fluid to and from the hydraulic cylinder
means to respectively raise and lower the hitch means, valve
lever means movable in a first and second direction to respec-
tively permit fluid flow to and from the hydraulic cylinder
means, means biasing the valve lever means in the second direc-
tion to lower the hitch means, means sensing fluid pressure gen-
erated in the transmission means including piston means slidably
mounted in a bore provided in a body member and in fluid communi-
cation with the transmission means whereby the piston means is
12

Claim 12 Continued
urged in one direction by the fluid pressure in the transmission
means, biasing means urging the piston means in a direction oppo-
site the one direction, cam means connected to the piston means
and the position sensing l_nk means and slidably abutting the
valve lever means responsive to piston means movement to urge the
valve lever means in the first direction to raise the hitch means
upon transmission means pressure exceeding a predetermined value
and to lower the hitch means upon transmission means pressure
decreasing below the predetermined value, means operatively
associated with the piston means for setting the predetermined
value, intermediate link means connected to and movable by the
position sensing link means and further operatively connected to
the valve lever means to urge the valve lever means in the first
direction, manually operable means connected to the intermediate
link for moving the intermediate link proportional to desired
hitch position.
13

Description

~`; lOS626Z
1 DRAFT LOAD CONTROL FOR TRACTORS
.~i
This invention relates generally to a draft control system
for an agricultural tractor and more particularly to a draft
control system for a hydrostatic drive tractor wherein the hydro-
static drive pressure is sensed to adjust the hitch to vary the
working depth of an implement so as to not exceed a maximum draft
load and draft depth.
In the past, tractors have been provided with hydraulic lift
- systems for automatically raising or lowering an associated in-
tegral or semi-integral implement in order to maintain a sub-
stantially constant implement draft or draft load on the tractor.
; The draft load on the tractor has been generally sensed as a
force exerted on the draft links of the tractor as shown in the
- Du Shane U.S. Patent No. 2,940,530 granted on 14 June 1960.
In tractors having main drive wheels mechanically connected
to the engine, a complex torque sensing coupling had to be inter-
posed in the drive line between the engines and the wheels as
shown in the McKeon U.S. Patent No. 3,575,241 granted on 20 April
1971.
Summary of the Invention
It is a general object of the present invention to provide
a simple draft control system for a hydrostatic drive tractor.
The control system includes a pressure sensor sensing the hydrau-
~` lic pressure in the input line to the hydraulic wheel drive
motors to provide an output for a linkage system which selec-
tively activates and deactivates a control to selectively allow
and block the passage of pressurized fluid to and from a hydrau-
lic cylinder which adjusts the hitch.
, Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. l is a side view of a hydrostatic drive tractor em-
bodying the draft control system of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the draft control system of
the present invention.
, - 1 -

i
- lOS6,262
1 Fig. 3 is a side view of a component of the present inven-
tion showing an alternate embodiment superimposed thereon.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring now to Fig. 1, therein is shown a hydrostatic
drive tractor generally designated at 10. The tractor 10 in-
cludes a main frame 12 supported by pairs of support wheels 14
and main drive wheels 16. The main frame 12 supports an engine
18 which is connected to a hydrostatic transmission 20. The
tractor 10 further includes a pair of draft links 22 and a hitch
arm 24 which are adapted for the connection of an integral or
semi-integral ground working implement (not shown).
Referring now to Yig. 2, therein is shown a draft control
system generally designated by the numeral 30. The draft control
system includes a draft control lever 32 pivotally carried, to-
gether with other components to be presently described, in a
secondary housing or casing, such as that shown at 34. The lever
32 is connected by a connecting pin 35, a connecting link 36 and
a control pin 38 to an intermediate link 40.
The intermediate link 40 has a slot 42 medially positioned
therein in which a valve lever pin 44 slides. The valve lever
pin 44 is integral with a valve lever 46 which is pivotally
mounted by a valve pin 48 on a hitch control valve 50. The
valve 50 includes a pump poppet 52 and a reservoir poppet 54
which are engageable with portions of the valve lever 46 so as
to open ports to fluidly connect, respectively, a cylinder pump
56 and a reservoir 58 with an internal chamber 60 in the valve
50. In the neutral position, the poppets are clear of the valve ~;
lever 46 and both ports in valve 50 are closed.
The internal chamber 60 is connected by a fluid line 62
with the head end of a hydraulic cylinder 64. The rod end 66 of
the cylinder 64 is pivotally connected to the hitch arm 24. The
hitch arm 24 is supported by a rockshaft 68 for rotative motion
.

1~56Z6Z
1 relative to the tractor 10 as the cylinder 64 extends and re-
tracts.
The rockshaft 68 is connected by an integral rockshaft ear
72 to a position sensor generally designated at 70. The position
. . .
sensor 70 includes an internally threaded link 74 which thread-
edly engages an externally threaded, position sensor link 76 by
a thread and nut assembly 78; the thread and nut assembly 78
, being used to compensate for manufacturing tolerances. The po-
sition sensor link 76 has a flat portion having therein a posi-
tion sensor pin 80 by which the position sensor link 76 and the
intermediate link 40 are pivotably interconnected. At one end
of the flat portion of the position sensor link 76 is a position
pin 82 which is slidably and rotatably positioned in a cam slot
84 of a cam link 86.
l~ The cam link 86 includes a cam profile 88 which in the oper-
,~l ative position abuts the valve lever pin 44 and operates to op-
, pose the force imposed on the valve lever pin 44 by a valve lever
,i - i
spring 90 in a manner to be hereinafter described.
^ A pressure sensor 92 contains a piston 94 which is connected
by a piston pin 96 to the cam link 86. The piston 94 is slidably
positioned in a body member 98. The body member 98 contains an
internal thread 102 into which a response adjusting collar 100 is
threaded. When the response adjusting collar is threaded into
,;~ the body member 98, the preload on a piston spring 104 is in-
,...
`~ creased which applies an increased bias to a piston flange por-
tion 106 of the piston 94. The portion of the piston 94 slidably
inserted in the body member 98 is encircled by a seal 108 to
prevent leakage along the piston 94 from a pressure chamber 110.
The pressure chamber 110 is connected by a pressure sensing
line 112 to a forward direction pressure line 114 which is a part
of the hydrostatic transmission 20. The forward direction pres-
sure line 114 is connected to a pair of hydraulic wheel motors
116 which are connected to rotate the main drive wheels 16. The ~ -
-- 3 --

1056Z62
~:
1 hydraulic wheel motors 116 are connected by a reverse direction
pressure line 118 and the forward direction pressure line 114 to
~ the first and second ports, respectively, in the first side of a
; conventional forward and reverse valve 120. A second side of the
forward and reverse valve 120 has a first port connected to a
variable volume pump 122 and a second port connected to a reser-
voir 58.
Initially, the draft control system 30 is in the configur-
ation shown in Fig. 2 with the hitch arm 24 in the lowered posi-
`~ 10 tion. As shown, the hydraulic cylinder 64 is in the retracted
position, the valve 50 is in its neutral position, and the pres- t
sure sensor 92 is in its null pressure position.
To raise the hitch arm 24 and the associated integral or
6 semi-integral implement, the operator moves the draft control
; lever 32 in the direction indicated by the arrow and the letter
R. Movement of the control lever 32 causes pivotation of the
intermediate link about the sensor pin 80. Since the valve lever
pin 44 is kept in abutting relationship with the right end of the
slot 42 in the intermediate link 40 by the valve lever spring
.
20 90, the valve lever 46 is moved counterclockwise about the valve
` pin 48 to depress the pump poppet 52 to connect the operative cy-
linder pump 56 with the hydraulic cylinder 64.
As the cylinder 64 extends, the hitch arm 24 raises toward a
' position proportional to the position of the control lever 32 and
the rockshaft 68 is rotated so as to proportionally move the
position sensor 70 in an arc determined by the clockwise rotation
of the intermediate link 40 about the control pin 38. Movement
of the sensor pin 80 end of the intermediate link 40 causes the
valve lever 46 to rotate clockwise about the valve pin 48 so that
30 the pump poppet 52 closes off the cylinder pump 56 from the hy-
draulic cylinder 64 at a predetermined height of the hitch arm 24
which is proportional to the position of the control lever 32.
4 ~

: lQ562~Z
1 While the tractor is stationary, the hydraulic wheel motors
; 116 are not pressurized and thus the pressure sensor 92 is qui-
~ escent with the piston 94 retracted into the body member 98 under
:`~ loading by the piston spring 104.
With the tractor moving, when the operator wishes to lcwer
. . .
the implement, the control lever 32 is moved in the direction
: indicated by the arrow and the letter L. The movement of the
control lever 32 results in counterclockwise movement of the
intermediate link 40 about the sensor pin 80. This movement
allows the valve lever 46 to move clockwise under urging of the
.; valve lever spring 90 to abut the reservoir poppet 54 so as to
.:
. connect the hydraulic cylinder 64 with the reservoir 58.
. As the fluid drains from the cylinder 64, the hitch arm 24
is lowered toward a position proportional to the position of the
control lever 32 and the rockshaft 68 rotates so as to propor-
tionally move the position sensor 70 about an arc defined by the
intermediate link 40 pivoting counterclockwise about the control
pin 38. Movement of the intermediate link 40 causes counter-
clockwise rotation of the valve lever 46 to release the reservoir
poppet 54 and return the valve 50 to a neutral position wherein
the cylinder 64 is blocked both from the cylinder pump 56 and
the reservoir 58.
As the hitch arm 24 is lowered, an increasing draft load is
imposed on the hitch arm 24 and the draft links 22 by the imple-
ment entering the ground. The draft load which may be variable
due to different soil conditions appears as a force acting to
retard the tractor 10. The hydraulic pressure in the forward
direction pressure line 114 of the hydrostatic transmission 20
is increased by the pump 122 until the pressure is proportional
to the draft load in order to maintain a constant speed.
Initially, when it is desired to have the draft control
system 30 purely position responsive with the implement depth
- 5 -
.

1056Z6Z
. ~..
1 proportional to the control lever 32 setting, the pressure sensor
- 92 is set with the response adjusting collar 100 threaded into
the body member 98 so as to preload the piston spring 104 suffi-
ciently to prevent movement of the piston 94 under the maximum
hydrostatic transmission pressure.
; The draft response oE the draft control system 30 may be
~.
changed by changing the preload on the piston spring 104 by ap-
propriate turning of the response adjusting collar 100. The pre-
. load setting is proportional to the maximum operating draft load
:~` 10 beyond which the implement will be raised in order to decrease
~. the draft load.
.. To activate the draft responsiveness of the draft control
.` system around a predetermined depth, the operator adjusts the
. response adjusting collar 100 on the run so as to allow the pis-
. ton 94 to move out of the valve body member 98 in response to the
hydrostatic drive pressure in the pressure chamber 110. The
~s outward movement of the piston 94 causes translation and clock-
wise rotation of the cam link 86 relative to the piston pin 96 as
the cam slot 84 slides along position pin 82. The adjustment is
` 20 made until the cam profile 88 of the cam link 86 abuts the valve
lever pin 44 without causing activation of the valve 50.
"~ When the draft load decreases, the cam link 86 moves out of
abutting relationship with the valve lever pin 44 and thus the
position of the hitch arm 24 is not affected. ~
When the draft load increases, the cam profile 88 of the ~: :
cam link 86 abuts the valve lever pin 44 and moves it away from
the right end of the slot 42 to cause activation of the valve 50
so as to connect the pump 56 with the hydraulic cylinder 64. As ~:
the cylinder 64 extends, the hitch arm 24 rises causing the po-
sition sensor 70 to move in an arc defined by the clockwise ro-
tation of the intermediate link 40 about the control pin 38. The
movement of the position snesor 70 causes clockwise rotation
.' .
':

~0562~>Z
, .
..
; 1 of the cam link 86 about the piston pin 96. The cam profile 88
is of a predetermined configuration such that a predetermined
ratio of position sensor movement to piston 94 movement occurs
; before the valve lever pin 44 and the valve lever are allowed to
rotate so as to bring the valve 50 to the neutral position. The
configuration is chosen so as to provide an optimum balance be-
tween position and draft control over a variety of terrains.
As the draft load decreases due to the raising of the imple-
ment, the piston 94 of the pressure sensor 92 will retract allow-
ing the valve lever pin 44 to move towards the right end of theslot 42 under the urging of the valve lever spring 90. The valve
lever 46 will then move to cause the valve 50 to connect the cyl-
~` inder 64 to the reservoir 58 to allow the hitch arm 24 to lower.
The hitch arm 24 lowers until it is positioned proportional to
the position of the control lever 32 and the position sensor 70
returns to the initial position, and the valve lever 46 and the
valve 50 are in their respective neutral and ports blocked
~ positions.
The draft control system 30 further provides the feature of
20 being able to lift the hitch arm 24 by the application of ex-
ternal force thereupon with the cylinder pump 56 inoperative.
Movement of the hitch arm 24 first causes the cylinder piston to
draw a vacuum and then causes the position sensor 70 to move so
as to connect the cylinder 64 with the reservoir 54.
In an alternate embodiment, pure draft control is obtainable
by insertion of the cam link 186 having a cam profile 188 in
place of the cam link 86. The difference between the cam pro-
files 88 and 188 is that in the cam link 186 the locus of points
along the cam profile 188 are e~uidistant from the piston pin 96
30 whereas the locus is changed in a predetermined proportion in
the cam link 86 as shown by the dotted profile in Fig. 3. This ~-
has the same physical effect as permitting the piston 94 to abut

~OS626z t
1 the valve lever pin 44 directly. The operative effect is to
cause the draft control system 30 to be purely draft load respon-
sive around the preselected depth in response to pressure varia-
tions above and below the predetermined pressure set by the re-
sponse adjusting collar 100.
When the hitch arm 24 is set and the predetermined pressure
set, an increase in draft load will cause the hitch arm 24 to be
raised. Raising of the hitch arm 24 in this embodiment does not
feed back through the position sensor 70 to return ~e valve 50
10 to neutral. Instead, the draft load as sensed by the pressure
sensor 92 must decrease before the valve 50 is returned to neu-
tral. Similarly, a decrease in draft load will allow the hitch
; arm 24 to be lowered and the lowering will not be stopped until
;~ the draft load increases to the predetermined value.
Various other features and advantages of the invention,
not categorically enumerated herein, will undoubtedly occur to
those versed in the art, as will many modifications and alter-
ations in the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed,
all of which may be achieved without departing from the spirit
20 and scope of the invention.
-- 8 --
. :